Title: The Price of Temptation
Author: Lecia Cornwall
Genre:Historical, Regency
Once wed to England’s most notorious turncoat . . .
Lady Evelyn Renshaw can ignore the disgrace her former husband has brought down upon her. She can even disregard the accusations. But when her life is threatened because of his actions, she realizes a stiff upper lip won’t be enough to keep her safe. So she hires a new footman powerful enough to protect her . . .only to find herself shamelessly intoxicated by his breathtaking masculinity.
Captain Sinjon Rutherford is no footman . . .but there are those who believe him a traitor.The only way to prove his innocence is by playing the part of elegant Lady Evelyn’s servant in order to infiltrate her home and uncover the truth about her suspicious relations. Yet what seems at first an easy deception is anything but, once he meets his alluring new employer and discovers just how tempting a woman in charge can be . . .
Because sometimes passion hides in plain sight.
This book was published in December 2011, and to be honest, I can’t understand why I haven’t heard more about THE PRICE OF TEMPTATION and this author. This is the second book by Lecia Cornwall (and the first of hers I’ve read), and I will definitely be reading more.
As the description above says, Evelyn has been brought down in disgrace due to her husband’s label as traitor. Everyone–the government, the rest of Society, even her own family–believes that she knows where her husband is. Sinjon is tasked to go into disguise as her servant in order to discover the truth–and eventually to do whatever it takes to get Evelyn to reveal her secrets.
It’s only a guess, but I suppose one of the reasons why readers may be staying away from this book (and why I was hesitant about reading it, too) is because the heroine is married–and she ends up with a hero who is very much not her husband. I don’t like adultery in any form, and just seeing that the heroine was already married sent off warning bells in my head. However, after reading this book, I feel completely different about it and can only encourage others to give it a chance. I don’t want to give too much away, but it might help to know that nothing too intimate happens until the heroine is no longer married.
I very much enjoyed this book. I found it incredibly romantic, which is surprising given the gray adultery factor mentioned above. But I also found the story and the characters compelling, and the writing itself was a joy to read–very elegant and smooth, making it surprising that this is only her second book.
I encourage you to give this relatively new author a chance and very much recommend THE PRICE OF TEMPTATION.
Grade: A
